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Crate training our new puppy?


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I can't really help ... have never used one !
maybe look for Susan Garrett Crate Games ? 

A crate can also be used at ANY TIME as the dog's bed/safe place /place where the really good treats are given ..so that being there is a nice thing  anyhow . it is not a punishment.
make sure the crate is in a good spot (for the DOG) ;) ...is large enough ...cool in Summer 

This may also help ..I discovered it the other day :)   CLICK HERE .

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NIce find, @persephone.     My Border Collies are crate trained from the day they come home (and if you're lucky it has been started by the breeder, particularly if the puppy is going to have a long journey to the new home.   I like to have a bedtime crate beside my bed, so that I can hear puppy when/if he/she needs to go toilet at night.  light collar and lead on, out we go to an appropriate toilet spot, then back inside and straight back to bed, with a little treat.  Puppy is put in there initially at family bedtime, when pup is tired, after a toilet trip outside (on lead) and with a treat, and maybe a heatpad in cold weather,  I use plastic airline crates for this.   My 10 year old boy still chooses to sleep in his crate beside my bed, though there has been no door on it for 4 years, and it was open for a few years before that.

My puppy - now 19 months old . has a wire crate in the family room, covered with a polar fleece blankets .. she sleeps in there after breakfast and after dinner, to let her calm down a bit and let he meals digest.   (She is a very hyper puppy, so she really needs calm time.   If I wasn't home, she'd be in an Xpen similar to the set up described in that video link.)

When we're travelling, or at shows or competitions, the dogs also use crates .. in the car, and at dog friendly accommodation when I can't supervise them.   The older boy has a soft crate, because he can be trusted not to break out .. the youngster a folding wire crate with a cover.

In terms of training .. it's a matter of making the crate a comfortable, den space to be in.   Some people leave the door open at first, but either way, I always use treats for going into the crate, and practise teaching the dog to stay in the crate even if the door is open, by playing games giving permission to leave the crate (with a release word ..  which we can also  use in other situations, also helps the dog to understand they need to wait for permission to go out doors, and particularly to leave the car.   It's a great safety net.

Congratulations for crate training .. it really is such a beneficial thing to do for your pup.

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Crate games is awesome!!!!! Totally recommend the Susan Garrett DVD or online access. It’s not just about the crate but about teaching impulse control in a really simple environment. My dogs are rarely in crates but I still train it as a priority. 

 

For pups I have a large pen in the living room (plus crate) for when I can’t supervise. At least 2 hours awake time before I leave pup in there. At night they sleep by my bed in a crate until they can demonstrate responsibility. For some pups that takes a few months and others 13 months. 

 

During the day my maximum crate time is 4 hours and pup should be waking up and stretching as I walk through the door. They must be TIRED from training and free exercise before going in.

 

I swear my pups say “ohhhhh thank goodness she’s GONE! Now I can sleep!” :rofl: 

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Awesome! Thanks guys, I'm definitely going to check out Susan Garrett. @The Spotted Devil LOL I'm sure you're pups are not happy to see you go! I was checking online for some decent free resources not just for crate training but I think the earlier we puppy train in general the easier Moxie is going to be to handle. I started reading the crate training guides on this site . Can you guys tell me if the information here is pretty factual? I'm working my way through the "How To Crate Train Your Puppy" article and it seems pretty authoritative but wanted your input. 

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I haven’t had a chance to check your link but if you look on this page of my website you’ll see Ginny as a youngster plating crate games. Her mum, Em is in an open crate on the right and Ziggy my Dalmatian is on the left as distractions:

 

http://www.thornfield.com.au/living-with-a-fieldbred-ess.asp

 

My favourite training resources are here: 

 

http://www.thornfield.com.au/links.asp

 

with a few fun videos too :) 

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